Family law pertains to issues such as marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, and other related areas, and within this topic father’s rights is particularly associated with questions of child custody. Where there was once a time that a divorce almost always resulted in custody of minor children automatically being awarded to the mother, advocates for the equal parenting rights of fathers have made a marked shift in the courts’ approach to this important issue, and family court judges are now far more likely to view both parents as being on equal footing, with gender no longer considered as a factor. If you are a father who is litigating or negotiating a divorce, it is important that you have a strong advocate who has extensive experience and knowledge of family law and father’s rights in Philadelphia. Erik B. Jensen, P.C. Attorneys at Law can provide you with the guidance and legal representation that you need.

Father’s rights in Philadelphia were greatly advanced by a new law that took affect in the state of Pennsylvania in the past few years. This law made issues of child custody entirely gender neutral with regard to custody, and specifically requires transparency from judges with regard to their custody decisions. This effectively eliminated the application of traditional biases towards the mother as playing a more nurturing rule in child rearing, and replaces that assumption with a set of 16 individual factors that must be taken into consideration. These factors include:

•  The child’s relationship with their siblings
• The child’s need for stability and continuity and terms of their community life, their educational life, and their family life
• The availability of extended family
• What each parent’s role and duties have been in the child’s care and upbringing
• The extent to which each parent is likely to encourage continued and frequent contact with the other parent

In addition to expanding and defining these important elements, the law has also provided safeguards on issues that were previously problematic. These include providing the noncustodial parent with the ability to more effectively raise an objection if the custodial parent wishes to move out of the area, and the ability to have a stronger voice in creating a parenting plan in issues where custody is contested.

At Erik B. Jensen, P.C. Attorneys at Law, we understand the frustration and fear of being a father going through a challenging divorce. Despite the fact that the laws have changed, in many cases traditional attitudes exist, and there are real concerns the strong relationship that you have established with your child might be in jeopardy. But the law provides fathers with a much greater opportunity to have custody of their children fifty percent of the time and it is our goal to secure you the quality time that you want and deserve. For information on how we will fight for your rights, contact our office today to set up an appointment.